Salt Lake City-based U.S. Digital Television (USDTV) has unveiled the first ever "over-the-air" digital subscription cable channel service in the United States.

The service, priced under $20 per month, broadcasts local, national and popular cable channels "over-the-air" in digital and high-definition formats using unused digital spectrum from broadcast partners.

USDTV's proprietary technology will be launched in 30 major markets by the end of 2004. USDTV is currently available in Salt Lake City and will be introduced in Albuquerque, NM, and Las Vegas by the end of the month.

USDTV's unique television subscription service is the first of its kind in the broadcast industry. The company bundles multiple cable channels to enable broadcast partners to deliver the service to subscribers' homes through standard VHF/UHF antennas. Customers view these digital and high-definition broadcasts via USDTV's proprietary set-top box instead of a direct cable connection or a satellite dish. The USDTV service offers 12 of the most popular cable channels and also receives the digital and high-definition TV channels of local and national affiliated broadcast stations.

"USDTV's service has created a new category in the pay television marketplace," said Steve Lindsley, chairman & CEO of USDTV. "Our high-quality service provides consumers a compelling low-cost alternative to cable and satellite with all the benefits of the digital and high-definition viewing experience. Broadcasters will also benefit from larger digital TV viewing audiences and a share of our subscription revenues."

USDTV technology development and recent acquisitions have enabled the company to create a consumer product that will be continually relevant as the technology continues to evolve and be adopted, the company said.

"Our partnerships and extensive intellectual properties underscore our technology leadership and enable us to provide a completely integrated offering for both broadcasters and consumers," Lindsley said. "USDTV is involved in every aspect of the process, from encryption to decoding to reception to ensure the best experience for the customer."

USDTV is now offering over-the-air digital television subscription services in Salt Lake City and plans to soon expand the service to Las Vegas and Albuquerque, N.M. The system uses unutilized UHF spectrum and carries 12 popular cable channels, bundling these with off-the-air reception of local DTV transmissions. The s

Not long after demonstrating transmission of MPEG-4 compressed video in an ATSC broadcast TV stream at NAB2006, USDTV--the first over-the-air digital subscription TV service in the United States--declared bankruptcy. Last week, NexGen Telecom LLC announced it acquired the assets of U.S. Digital Television LLC (USDTV) f